1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of invention relate generally to optical devices and, more specifically but not exclusively relate to amplifying optical power in an optical beam.
2. Background Information
The need for fast and efficient optical-based technologies is increasing as Internet data traffic growth rate is overtaking voice traffic pushing the need for fiber optical communications. Transmission of multiple optical channels over the same fiber in the dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) system provides a simple way to use the unprecedented capacity (signal bandwidth) offered by fiber optics. Commonly used optical components in the system include wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) transmitters and receivers, optical filter such as diffraction gratings, thin-film filters, fiber Bragg gratings, arrayed-waveguide gratings, optical add/drop multiplexers, optical amplifiers and optical attenuators. An optical amplifier is a device that can be used to increase the optical intensity or power of an optical beam. An optical amplifier can be useful to for example increase the intensity of an optical beam to compensate for power loss before or after being transmitted from a source to a destination.